Hands to Help
“You have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” -Sam Levenson The ongoing efforts of a thriving community requires the help of people and although a lot of things are outside of any one persons control, we as people do have the autonomy to do what is within our authority and even more so, within our reach. Being involved in your community is something to be proud of. When becoming active, you begin to create bonds and enjoy a happier place to love.
The start to changing the world is right outside your doorstep, in your very own community and by being your very own self. What happens in your community can affect you as well. Crime rates can affect the security that one may or may not feel in their home, bad roads can affect the way you travel to work or school, and even pollution can play a big factor on health. These are just a few things but what happens in your community can be impacting to you. Helping to improve the not so great parts of your local area will not only be good for you but for others in your area.
Be the Change……
Making change in a community first starts with the will to want to make a difference. That difference is not necessarily for yourself, it’s primarily for others such as children, grandchildren, neighbors, and the elderly. The difference is for those that you get to leave a legacy to, all done in the heart of taking an exemplary action. In one of my articles titled, The Greatness of Community it outlines why community is important and its purpose. Community is not just solely the radius combining a group of homes; it’s the people that are in the homes that make it and each of us have ideas, skills, and talents to contribute to the place we call home. There is a saying that “if it’s not broke then don’t fix it.” I never quite agreed with that and I’ve heard it many times. I believe that the belief of that quote can single handily destroy the innovative ideas for future progression because in part, although it may not be broken, it can always be better. I consider it a privilege and a blessing to wake up each day and work to improve something, making it better than before. There is another saying that I quite like and it is something most can agree, which is, change is inevitable. As we look to make a better future for ourselves and those around us we first have to “be the change that we want to see.” -Gandhi
The Assembly
In hope to reaching a greater solution contribute what you have. The authority that we have to contribute is not always financial; it can also be contributing our time. “The greatest of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of it members.” It takes time to perform action. There is action when doing community clean-ups, volunteering at the local schools or even time at the neighborhood watch meeting. Putting time in for the goal of a thriving community takes more than one person. It takes being humbled to listen to someone else’s ideas and encouraging a sense of togetherness. Life has shown that we all need someone and every person on this earth needs some form of help from another person. That support that is given comes from a person that is humble enough to think of others before themselves, that truly lives moral values and even more so Christian values to bear another’s burden. “As we have the opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” -Galatians 6:10 There is greatness that can take place in a community by the hands of those from the community. Here are some ways that you can make a difference in your community:
- Campaign a community clean-up day
- Volunteer where needed in your local area
- Donate. Give.
- Become a mentor.
- Shop locally
- Attend community meetings
- Join your local neighborhood watch. Don’t have one, you might the one to get it started 🙂
You can also see ways of how you can get active by researching local community outreach organizations in your area or better yet be the one to make a difference in your community by initiating the change.
Until next time……
